THOMASVILLE — For Thomasville’s football team, this year’s rivalry game with Thomas County Central has much more than school pride on the line.

If things go the Bulldogs’ way, tonight’s 8 o’clock matchup at Thomas County Stadium has the potential to be very historic. They are not only looking to tie the all-time series after Central grabbed the lead last year, but they will have a chance to secure their 700th all-time win against their crosstown rivals.

Thomasville would become only the sixth team in the state of Georgia to reach that mark.

“You look at the tradition and the history — people talk about Valdosta,” Thomasville coach Zach Grage said. “We’re right up there. One of the big things we’ve tried to do in the last couple of years is bring back tradition, bringing back some of the alumni and the gold pants — everything that kind of made us successful. The potential for this is big. In the grand scheme of things, we’re excited about being 2-0.”

Starting the year with two wins would also bring some history with it. The Bulldogs have not started a season 2-0 since 1989. To top it all off, the last time Thomasville beat Cairo and Central in the same year was back in 1991.

Last year, the Bulldogs came very close to claiming victory over the Yellow Jackets at home. Down by two, Karey Lee picked off a pass late in the fourth quarter, but a lost fumble at Central’s 25 killed a potential game-winning drive and sealed the 16-14 defeat. For some, last season’s classic was a good sign of things to come, but the Bulldogs want to shift away from that mentality.

“The almost, the moral victories, we’ve got to get out of those,” Grage said. “There’s no more moral victories. We’ve got to go win.”

One big advantage Thomasville has against Central this year is experience. The Bulldogs have more returning starters on offense and defense than the younger Yellow Jackets do. Last week, the running back trio of Tan Gelin, Trey Tillman and Malek Miller helped their team to its win over the Syrupmakers, rushing for a combined 208 yards and three touchdowns. They’ll be looking to make an impact again this week.

Defense will also be key. The Bulldogs were able to force turnovers last year, and they hope to do that again. One aspect to watch will be Thomasville’s defensive line. It’s a rotating unit, and it will have to contend with the always unpredictable split-back veer offense that Central runs.

“It’s all about the whole ‘do your job’ mentality,” Grage said. “We played them when I was at Colquitt so I’ve seen it for years. We’re about as opposite as you can get from the veer, but it works.”

Tonight’s game will not only be a rivalry matchup for Thomasville. To Grage, it’s also a litmus test of how his team can handle the expectations on a big stage.

“We’re not going to sit here and try to make it seem like it’s any other game because it’s not,” he said. “There’s a lot riding on it, and we’re going to see how they respond to pressure. If they can’t respond to this pressure, we’re not going to go to the (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) anyways.”